Paralympic Program Review: What Makes a Paralympic Sport

What makes a sport a Paralympic sport? What criteria does a sport have to meet in order to be considered for inclusion on the Paralympic Program? Questions like these are resolved at each Quadrennial Paralympic Program Review by the Paralympic Program Review Committee, which is chaired by either the Summer or Winter Sports Representative, depending on the review cycle. The Summer or Winter Sports Representative works in cooperation with the IPC Headquarters to prepare a full report to the Sports Council Management Committee (SCMC) for review and recommendations. The SCMC reviews the recommendations and determines necessary preliminary actions prior to the submission of recommendations to the IPC Executive Committee.

What’s in, what’s out

The Quadrennial Paralympic Program Review has been held regularly since 1992. During the most recent Summer Program Review in 2000, the IPC Executive Committee decided on the sports program for the next quadrennium, including the XII Paralympic Summer Games in 2004.

The discipline of Standing Volleyball, which did not meet the criteria of being widely practiced, will not be on the sports program for 2004. Under the IPC rules and regulations, team sports that are widely practiced in 18 countries and in 3 different regions can be considered for inclusion on the Paralympic Program. The information provided by the World Organization Volleyball for Disabled (WOVD) indicated that Standing Volleyball was only widely practiced in 14 countries and thus did not meet the criteria. The IPC Executive Committee has stated that the sport can re-apply and be re-evaluated at the next review in 2004.

The IPC Executive Committee also made some recommendations for the inclusion of new disciplines in the Paralympic Program. Two such disciplines under discussion and further development are Sitting Volleyball for Women and Five-a-side Soccer, as well as the Wheelchair Tennis for Quadriplegics event. The IPC will be determining the event program during 2001.

Background on the review process

The Paralympic Program is re-evaluated each quadrennium to ensure that the elite level of competitive activity for each sport meets specific criteria, which constitutes both infrastructural sophistication and global scope. Sports meeting the criteria are deemed to be at Paralympic Standard and are given consideration to remain on the Paralympic Program for the next quadrennium.

Much like the qualification criteria used for the selection of athletes to the Paralympic Games, the Paralympic Program Review Committee takes an integrated approach towards its evaluation by concentrating on the following objective principles:

Quality
The competitive quality of events and disciplines offered on a sport’s quadrennial competition program.

Quantity
The number of nations widely practicing a sport at elite level.

Universality
The number of regions a sport is widely practiced in and its infrastructure that ensures opportunities for athletes of all political, religious, economic, ability, gender and ethnic backgrounds to participate within the guidelines of its rules and regulations.
Furthermore, the review process respects the autonomy of the different sports by evaluating them based on official results from competitions over the last quadrennium.

Inclusion of sports, disciplines and events

Sports on the Paralympic Summer and Winter Program must be organized:

1. For athletes with a disability, and
2. Within the IPC or one of the International Organizations of Sports for the Disabled (IOSDs)
3. Within an International Federation (IF) where the needs and requirements of athletes with a disability are heard and met, or
4. Within an autonomous Federation in a sport for people with a disability (IFD), provided that the IFD has a structure of national organizations each recognized by its own country, that these national structures are sufficient in number to satisfy the IPC Executive Committee, a democratic constitution, system of membership and elections at all levels up to the international organization and which permits the needs and requirements of athletes with a disability to be heard and met.

Queries on application procedures and requirements can be directed to the IPC Sports Department.

Summer Sports

Only individual sports and individual disciplines widely practiced in at least 24 countries and 3 regions may be considered for inclusion in the Paralympic Summer Games.

Only team sports and team disciplines widely practiced in at least 18 countries and 3 regions may be considered for inclusion in the Paralympic Summer Games.

A country shall be considered as widely practicing a sport or discipline if National Championships have been held on a regular basis, at least every 4th year, or a National Team has participated in the international competition and championships program of the relevant sport at least twice within two consecutive competition cycles of the sport.

Individual events must have a minimum of six entries and a minimum of four countries represented.

Team events must have a minimum of six countries represented for men and four countries for women represented.

Winter Sports

Only individual and team sports and disciplines widely practiced in at least 8 countries and 2 regions may be considered for inclusion in the Paralympic Winter Games.

A country shall be considered as widely practicing a sport or discipline if the sport is practiced in a National Organization recognized by the IPC or IOSD or the National Organization responsible for sport for athletes with a disability and recognized as such by the relevant able-bodied international federation, and National Championships are conducted, recognized by the appropriate National Federation, at least once every two years, or It has participated in an international competition.

Individual events must have a minimum of six entries and a minimum of three countries represented.

Team events must have a minimum of four countries represented.